In which I get to sample a smorgasbord of new programs!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
One of the few times where the copy is just as good, if not better, than the original. Mao’s Nocturnes bookended her years of skating on the senior circuit, and this program showcases her progress from ethereal fairy to mature lady.
Also, as a side note:
Reasons the Yunafan community thinks I’m an oddball: Mao is my favorite skater that isn’t Yuna
Reasons the Maofan community thinks I’m an oddball: Yuna is my favorite skater that isn’t Mao
O_O
This. Is. Amazing.
Satoko’s interpretation and SS have improved, and her jumps aren’t scary anymore! Yayyyyyy!!!!!!
(end fangirling)
Dear Alexei Mishin:
I believe that you are limiting Miss Tuktamisheva’s range as a skater by only letting her perform Latin-themed programs. While they are her strength, many of her detractors claim that she is unartistic because she has only performed one type of program. Also, this may stifle her artistic growth and render her unable to perform any other type of program.
(Sorry for not posting very much in the off-season-real life, other interests, and laziness got in the way of me posting anything 😦 )
And today we present….
Ladies figure skating fashion from 1900 to 2013!!
(cricket….)
During the early years of figure skating (1990-1920), many costumes were just long, simple dresses and hats-probably because the emphasis in ladies skating was on edgework and not jumps, which were seen as the sole domain of men. Female skaters also wore black skating boots during this time period.
And then came Sonja Henie.
Henie, often regarded as one of the greatest and most influential ladies figure skaters, also popularized several fashion choices in skating-speciafically the use of white boots and a shorter skirt to make it easier to jump.
While this was first seen as controversial in 1924, by the 1930s, many of the top figure skaters were using the new stlye of dress (long sleeved with short skirt) due to the fact that it made it easier to jump and spin.
Hats also started to disappear from costumes, as the invention and increased popularity of the layback spin made them impractical.
After WWII, skating costumes remained mostly the same in shape, but began to add small detail work, like thin stripes near the collar or sheer sleeves. However, most dresses were in solid colors like pale green, peach, and magenta.
This trend continued until the 1980s, when costumers began adding more detailed patterns and brighter colors to dresses. The dresses were also made with a more empire waist style. Skirts also stared shortening during this time period.
During the 1990s, this short-skirt and emipire waist trend continued, along with sleeveless simple dresses with ordinary waists. At the end of the decade, empire waists had disappeared from most of the top skaters’ costumes.
From the 2000s to now, many dresses contain simple, yet intricate designs in all colors. The majority are short-sleeved, however, there are a few long-sleeved ones thrown into the bunch each year.
The end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After dumping 12 years of floor routines on os168 at Yunaforum and getting rid of all evidence…. 😛
Presenting……..
lspiral rambles about Soviet floor!!!!!
(Aka my attempt to convince people into watching them….)
Tired of bad artistry? Bored to death with modern floor? Desiring actual dance?
Well, head to youtube.
Then determine what style of routine you want to watch.
Do you want lyrical routines? That’s the most prevalent style among the team! 😀
Looking for a good tango? Try any of these routines on for size
Want something childish and fun?
Or something more avante-garde?
Even if you want something more athletic, those routines exist too!
So the moral of the story is, no matter what style of routine you’re looking for, you’ll always be able to find at least one example from the Soviet team of 1972-1992.
i’m awake
or am i asleep?
she came again, haunting me in slumber
if this was june, july, august
september, october, november
december
even january, february
i wouldn’t have minded
i even would have enjoyed it
now, however
things have changed
i’m not as lonely anymore
but fate often intervenes at horrid times
the first night:
you came to me in the locker room
in a blue striped shirt and shorts
it was spring
i was with your friend
formerly mine too
when you noticed the two of us
lone shadows against a blue wall
and we had a rather pleasant reunion
you didn’t hate me
when all of a sudden, you fell to the ground
and began having a seizure
i tried to do something
and did
but when they came
it was too late
here lies siobhan ellis
photographer, genius, designer, friend
and then i woke up
the second night:
you came again
a week later
during class
C period social studies
through an announcement by the teacher
ms. green has just been transferred into this class
i also asked to transfer
a different class, pod,
even school
not to disturb you
and then i collapsed onto my desk
and disappeared
or died
and a girl in the next class
said that there was a lot of blood
on the chair
and then i woke up
the third night:
you came again yesterday
in a fashion design class at a university
blond hair, glowing aura
enough to put a spell
on unsuspecting passerby
aka me
i thought i sealed you away
like the the other memories
but when you seal chaos away
it takes over you
i did what i thought was the only logical choice
and fainted
or did i really do it?
falling, waiting, floating
waking
remembering
and then i woke up
me again:
why?
why do you haunt me?
listen
i’m sorry for Christmas
and ruining your vacation with my stupid demands
i’m sorry for clinginess, jealousy,
the past,
the future
i’m sorry for things you don’t even know about
what i don’t even know about
for whatever drove you
into my sleep
away from your peaceful world
happy birthday to you
a few days in advance
i won’t annoy you
i promise.
*hides* I know it’s really bad….
Anyways, back to the real point of my post…
lspiral reviews skating!!!!!!!!!!!
Today’s feature: Michelle Kwan!
(This was 300000000000000x harder than doing Yuna and Mao, and there is a tie for 5th place…)
5. (Tie) Fields of Gold, 2002 Winter Olympics exhibition
;(
That’s all that needs to be said, and all that should be said
5. (Tie) Dream of Desdemona, 1997 World Championships
It’s a pity that Michelle’s most creative SP conceptually was also the one she skated to in her less than stellar 1996-1997 season…
4. Romanza, 1996 World Championships
I love the sequence of spirals at the beginning and ina bauer. Also, this is the skate which caused me to fall in love with Michelle.
3. Dante’s Prayer, 1998 World Championships Exhibition
Michelle probably is the skater with the best exhibition skates, and Dante’s Prayer is living proof of it.
2. Lyra Angelica, 1998 United States National Figure Skating Championships
Pure beauty on ice.
1. East of Eden, 1998 World Professional Figure Skating Championships
Doesn’t she resemble an angel? And her angelic and passionate skating brings tears and smiles to peoples eyes and hearts… okay I’ll stop there 😛
(And I’m breaking up the gymnastics monopoly on my blog)
(This was really hard)
5. Ballade No. 1, 2010 Dreams on Ice
It was so hard to choose between this, Claire De Lune, Liebestraume, and So Deep is The Night, but eventually this program won out because… it’s just pure Mao. Elegance, grace, musicality, awesome twizzles, and beautiful spirals
4. Fantasia for Violin and Orchestra, 2008 World Championships
According to me (:P), this is the finest competition program to come out of the Mao-Tarasova collaboration (Swan Lake is a close second). This skate is a nice combination of elegance and drama, and one of my favorite step sequences.
3. I Vow To Thee My Country/Jupiter, The Ice 2011
Unfortunately, the The Ice video is now private, so here is the Japanese nationals version. Anyway… this program is so moving and poignant, especially considering everything both Japan and Mao went through in 2011.
The first time I saw this program, I began crying at the end
2. Fantaisie-Impromptu, 2007 Grand Prix Final
3a
3f+3t
3f+3lo in the second half
Complete with Mao’s grace and elegance
O_O
1. Nocturne in E-flat Major, 2006 Japanese National Championships
Although I appreciate her efforts to branch out her style and programs, my favorite style of Mao is her just being Mao, a pure, floaty, elegant fairy effortlessly floating across the ice.
In honor of Giulia Steingruber, Noel van Klaveren, and Jonna Alderteg medaling at Euros, here is my dream team using gymnasts from non-powerhouse teams
Henrietta Onodi is probably my favorite gymnast who didn’t compete for USA/USSR/Russia/Romania/China. Her lines and charisma on floor are superb and what a beautiful piked full-in and triple twist!
Lilia Podkopayeva is one of the greatest all-around gymnasts in history. While floor is what she is most well-known for, she also had a powerfully balletic beam, a beautiful vault, and a hop-full+hop-full+gienger on bars.
This beam routine is my favorite routine of the year 2012, even defeating all of the Olympic routines. Peng Peng’s attack is amazing and her confidence blew me away (I say that a lot…)
If only she wasn’t injured…. 😦
😀
Complete with the best Silivas ever (IMO), DLO, and attempted quad spin.
O_O
Too bad no one remembers this routine and instead focuses on her age…
How I got into Emilie LePennec’s gymnastics:
1. person: the 2001-2004 code sucked, it was too easy to get a ten start value, Emilie’s routine only had 3 difficult skills….
2. me (having heard of LePennec’s def) WTF? *goes to youtube and searches her*
3. after watching routine: O_O (and still WTF to the blogger)
4. randomly decides to watch her floor routine: she has a really unique style, too bad about the fall…
😛
Team finals lineup (6-3-3)
VT: Murakami, Onodi, Podkopayeva (okish DTY, great FTY, and awesome half-on, piked-half off)
UB: Lee, LePennec, Kim (O_O)
BB: Podkopayeva, Onodi, Lee (balletic power+innovation+confident attack)
FX: Podkopayeva, Onodi, Murakami (AWESOME)
random person being random 